Movie English Assignment #3 –The Pursuit of Happiness & Erin Brockovich

In the movie, “The Pursuit of Happiness”, Will Smith told his son to “never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something”. Here is my opinion of what he meant by that and why he said that.

He meant to encourage his son and to correct what he said little bit before. And, not only that, he also meant to encourage himself, because he was trying to his internship at a famous stock broking company. He didn't have any job and earn any salary. The situation was so challenging. So, he said “If you want to do, you go to get.” to his son and himself. Therefore, I think, he meant to want his son to be like him. For example, he has never given up the challenging situation and continued effort to get the better situation. He wanted his son to be like that, and told his son by saying the comments.

In the movie, “The Pursuit of Happiness”, Will Smith showed up for an interview for an internship position at a famous stock broking company wearing regular clothes and covered in paint. Here is my opinion of why he showed up like that, why he got the internship position and what I would have done in that situation.

The previous day, he painted the wall in his room. The owner of the room told him to get out the room because he didn't pay the rent and the wall would be repainted. So, he promised the owner to paint by himself and asked to live in the room. When he painted the wall, the police officers came to him, and he was brought in because of his illegal parking. Eventually, he released in the morning in the interview day, so he showed up like that.

He talked to one of the interviewers for the internship twice. And, he solved Rubik’s Cube in front of the man. He tried to show his intelligence in his way. Then, in the interview, he had a ready wit when the interviewer asked him “What do you think if he employed the man not wearing shirt?”  And he made the interviewers laugh. Then, he got the internship position.

I would have done nothing in that situation. I would have despaired of the situation, and given up.  Perhaps, I wouldn't have been to the interview for the internship position like his clothes. Of course, it is rude for the interviewers, but I wouldn't go like him. I would have been negative, and couldn't have had a ready wit. However, I want to be like him. I would try to do my best in that situation.  Also, I want to be like his phrase, “When I don’t know the answer, I say I don’t know. But I know how to find the answer.”

In the movie, “Erin Brockovich”, Julia Roberts who played Erin in the movie, got a job at a small law firm. Here is my opinion of how she ended up working there and which I agree or disagree with her approach to getting the job.

In the beginning part of the movie, Erin took the interview to work at a hospital. On the way to her house, she was crashed by a sport car. She visited a small law farm to bring in a lawsuit against the crash. The lawyer in the law farm and Erin thought they would win with the lawsuit, but it ended in their defeat. Erin threatened the lawyer with the defeat. Then, she started working there. I disagree her way to get the job. She had a bad mouth, and it was one of the reasons for their defeat, but she threatened the lawyer with that. I disagree that, but I agree her mind to get any job in any way.  She needed money to live with her children and had debt. She had to work, and she didn't miss the chance to get a job. I agree her effort to get the job.

In the movie, “Erin Brockovich”, Julia Roberts talked about life not always turning out the way we expect it to. Here is my opinion of what she meant by that.

I think she meant that everyone can’t know anything in the future. When I am in a good situation, I wouldn't expect a bad thing happened after. And I can’t know how long the bad or good situation continues. It’s the mean of her words about life not always turning out the way we expect it to.

She was Ms. Wichita, but she did little thing in the position. After that, she wasn't any good position, and didn't have any good work. Also, she didn't get married with good husband. It’s one of the examples of her words. Then, in the movie, she got along with George, and he was a good man. And, she got a good job to do something for a lot of people. It’s second example. The harder she worked, the worse the relationship with children and George was. And George went out. It’s third example.

Both movies are true stories about people who were able to overcome extreme financial hardships. Here is my opinion of why the protagonists of these two movies were able to win over their circumstances.

The protagonists of these two movies were able to win over their circumstances because they have self-confidence. They always think they can do. In the interview for the internship position, Will Smith said “When I don’t know the answer, I say I don’t know. But I know the way how to find the answer.” The words show he believes himself, and he thinks he can find the answer. When he was in a difficult situation, he had never given up and said any negative words. Also, when Erin threatened the lawyer to employ her, she said to him if he judged she was a useless person, he would fire her. The words show her self-confidence.

 They also have strong feeling for their past. Will Smith thought he would have been in better life if he had bought and sold the scanners, but he couldn't. Then, he thought a stockbroker would be better.  And, he tried the internship position. Erin was Ms. Wichita, and she wanted to do something for a lot of people in that position, but she couldn't. When she investigated the lawsuit about carcinogenic chrome, she must think the job would be for many people suffered by it. Both of them had any regret for their past position or doing, and they would do something they couldn’t do in the past.

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